Styliani Constas

Styliani Constas is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Western University, where she leads research in theoretical and computational physical chemistry. Her work focuses on molecular simulations of soft matter, atmospheric aerosols, and chemistry in small volumes from droplets to biological cells. She teaches multiple undergraduate and graduate courses including Physical Chemistry for Life Sciences, Thermodynamics, Quantum Chemistry, and Computer Simulations in Chemistry.

• B.Sc. from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
• M.Sc. from Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
• Ph.D. from University of Toronto
• Marie Curie Fellow at AMOLF, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Professor Constas's research program investigates the stability of chemical and biochemical systems through computer modeling of their dynamics. She specializes in developing and applying Molecular Dynamics and Monte Carlo techniques to study rare event dynamics in systems of chemical and biological interest. Her group examines conformational changes of macromolecules in solution, stability of non-covalently bound complexes, chemical reactions in solution, and disintegration mechanisms of charged nanodrops. A major focus is chemistry in small volumes, particularly in nano- and micro-scale systems and at interfaces, with applications in atmospheric chemistry, biology, and analytical chemistry.

Analysis of Professor Constas' recent publications reveals a strong focus on droplet physics and chemistry, particularly examining the behavior of charged nanodroplets, ion distribution in droplets, and the relationship between droplet properties across different size scales. Her work bridges computational chemistry with practical applications in mass spectrometry, atmospheric science, and biomolecular analysis, with significant contributions to understanding how confinement affects chemical processes.

• Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Climate Change, Air Quality, and Atmospheric Chemistry, University of California, Irvine (2022-2023)
• Department of Chemistry (UWO) Research Excellence Award
• Marie Curie TMR Fellowship (AMOLF, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
• Visiting Fellow at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, UK
• Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship Award, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK
• NSERC Accelerator Grant for Exceptional New Opportunities (AGENO)

Professor Constas actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, as evidenced by her research group photos spanning multiple years. Her group has collaborated with experimental researchers studying atmospheric aerosols to examine molecular details of mass spectrometry methods. She has secured significant research funding including NSERC grants and international fellowships that have supported her innovative work in computational chemistry. Her research has practical applications in analytical chemistry techniques, atmospheric science, and biomolecular analysis.

The Constas research group maintains expertise in multi-scale, atomistic, and mathematical modeling, with capabilities in numerical solutions of electrostatic equations. They have developed specialized computational methods for studying rare events in chemical systems, particularly focusing on how confinement affects chemical processes. The group collaborates with experimentalists to interpret data and design new experiments, bridging the gap between computational predictions and laboratory observations.